New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Tamar Purple’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Tamar Purple’, characterized by its large, purple-colored flowers; freely flowering habit with flowers positioned above or beyond the foliage; upright, somewhat outwardly spreading, rounded, uniform and compact plant habit; freely branching growth habit; and glossy dark green leaves.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of NewGuinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Tamar Purple.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program Inventor inMaasland, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is todevelop new Impatiens cultivars with uniform plant habit and attractiveflower and foliage colors.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross made by the Inventor in 1997of the Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Tamar Fuchsia, U.S. Plant Patentapplication filed concurrently with this application, as the male, orpollen parent, with the Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Papete, disclosed inU.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,457, as the famale, or seed parent. The cultivarTamar Purple was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a floweringplant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environmentin Maasland, The Netherlands in 1997.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken atMaasland, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features of thisnew Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Tamar Purple’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Tamar Purple’ as a new and distinctImpatiens cultivar:

1. Large purple-colored flowers.

2. Freely flowering habit with flowers positioned above or beyond thefoliage.

3. Upright, somewhat outwardly spreading, rounded, uniform and compactplant habit.

4. Freely branching growth habit.

5. Glossy dark green leaves.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Maasland, TheNetherlands, plants of the new Impatiens flower slightly earlier andhave dark colored flowers than plants of the male parent, the cultivarTamar Fuchsia.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Maasland, TheNetherlands, plants of the new Impatiens differ from plants of thefemale parent, the cultivar Papete, in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens have glossier and darker green leavesthan plants of the cultivar Papete.

2. Plants of the new Impatiens flower earlier than plants of thecultivar Papete.

3. Flowers of plants of the new Impatiens are flatter than flowers ofplants of the cultivar Papete.

4. Flowers of plants of the new Impatiens are displayed above and beyondthe foliage whereas flowers of plants of the cultivar Papete aredisplayed within the foliage canopy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Impatiens. The photograph comprises a top perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘Tamar Purple’ grown in a 12.5-cmcontainer.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Tamar Purple has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, waterstatus and fertility level, without, however, any variance in genotype.The following observations and measurements describe plants grown inMaasland, The Netherlands, during the early autumn, under commercialpractice in a glass-covered greenhouse. Plants used in the followingdescription were about 10 to 12 weeks old from planting rooted cuttingsand grown in 12.5-cm containers with one plant per container.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Tamar Purple.

Commercial classification: New Guinea Impatiens cultivar Tamar Purple.

Parentage:

Male parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Tamar Fuchsia, U.S. Plant Patentapplication filed concurrently with this application.

Female parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Papete, disclosed in U.S.Plant Pat. No. 8,457.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 5 to 7 days at 19 to 20° C.Winter: About 6 to 8 days at 19 to 20° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting or liner.—Summer: About 14 to 19 daysat 19 to 20° C. Winter: About 14 to 21 days at 19 to 20° C.

Root description.—Numerous, fibrous, and freely branching.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Upright, somewhat outwardly spreading, rounded,uniform and compact plant habit. Appropriate for 10 to 25-cm containers;multiple plants are typically planted in larger containers.

Growth and branching habit.—Freely branching with about 8 lateralbranches at the base. Pinching, that is, removal of the terminal apices,is typically not required. Moderately vigorous.

Crop time.—From a rooted cutting, about 10 to 12 weeks are required toproduce finished flowering plants in 12-5-cm containers.

Plant height.—About 17.3 cm.

Plant diameter.—About 32.5 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 15 cm. Diameter: About 1.1 cm. Internodelength (lower internodes): About 3.8 cm. Color: 187A.

Foliage discription.—Arrangement: Opposite or whorled. Length: About10.6 cm. Width: About 4.3 cm. Shape: Broadly elliptic. Apex: Acute toacuminate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Serrulate with ciliation. Texture:Leathery; upper surface, glabrous; lower surface, slightly pubescent onveins. Aspect: Somewhat arching. Color: Young and fully expandedfoliage, upper surface: Darker than 147A; glossy. Young and fullyexpanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B. Midvein, upper surface:53A; distally, 147C. Midvein, lower surface: Close to 53A. Petiole:Length: About 3.2 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Color: 53A.

Flower description:

Flower type and flowering habit.—Single purple-colored flowers. Freelyflowering, usually about 8 flowers and flower buds per lateral branch.Flowers positioned above and beyond the foliage and typically faceupward or outward. Flowers cupped when opening then mostly flat whenopened. Flowers roughly orbicular in shape. Flowers last about 7 to 14days on the plant depending on temperature and weather conditions.Petals self-cleaning; gynoecium persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In the garden,flowering from spring until fall.

Flower length.—About 6.3 cm.

Flower width.—About 6.1 cm.

Flower depth.—About 1.1 cm.

Flower buds (just before opening).—Rate of opening: From showing colorto fully open flower, typically about 2 to 3 days depending ontemperature. Length: About 1.7 cm. Diameter: About 9 mm. Shape: Ovoid.Color: 74A.

Petals.—Quantity: Single, five per flower. Length: Banner petal: About 3cm. Lateral petals: About 3.3 cm. Base petals: About 4 cm. Width: Bannerpetal: About 4.2 cm. Lateral petals: About 2.8 cm. Base petals: About3.5 cm. Shape: Cordate. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Attenuate. Margin:Entire. Texture: Smooth; velvety. Color: When opening and fully opened,upper surface: 74A; petal color does not fade with subsequentdevelopment, however small light pink, 75D, spots may develop at petalbase. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: 74B.

Spur.—Length: About 6.2 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm at flower; apex, about1 mm. Color: Proximally, 59B; distally, 59A.

Peduncles.—Length: About 5.8 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Strength:Strong, flexible. Aspect: Mostly upright. Color: Darker than 53A.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five fused at anthers,filaments free. Anther shape: Obovate. Anther size: About 4.5 mm by 2.25mm. Anther color: 11D. Amount of pollen: Moderate. Pollen color: 11C.Gynoecium: Pistil length: About 3.5 mm. Stigma color: 11C. Style color:144C. Ovary color: 144C.

Seed development.—Seed development has not been observed.

Disease resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not been observedto be resistant to pathogens common to Impatiens.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiensplant named ‘Tamar Purple’, as illustrated and described.